Thursday, December 28, 2006

Words Of Wisdom From DJ Impact... (I couldn't have said it better myself):

As the year comes to a close I wanted to drop a few gems on ya...yeah not only am I the dude w/ the ears that can pick a hit in less than 10 seconds...I know a few things about this business. 2007 is coming, and some of y'all are in trouble... betta get the kid on ya team...

Anyway, take these...there FREE this time...and get ya business model tuned up:

1. Managers & Agents of NEW artist w/ ONE hit single...$15,000 for a 10-15 min show, yeah sounds good if you on that get rich quick...nice little bragging piece huh? But in the long run...you killing them. And you wonder why they're albums drop and flop...outside of that one song that everybody sees on the video channels and gets beat up on the radio the fans don't really have a personal connection w/ them. If you wanna talk about longevity you betta ask the Roots...now they may not drop and go platinum...but that road money...that real money...THEY EARN IT and they're smart enough not to try to get it ALL AT ONCE that's why they still GET IT after all these years. If your artist ain't got an HOUR worth of live heat SHUT UP w/ that 12,500-15,000 sh#t. That's why the promoters DON'T RETURN YOUR CALLS.

2. Artist...T-Shirt & Hoodies is not a clothing line they're promo items & tour merchandise...oh wait you don't know what TOUR MERCHANDISE is because your manager is trying to book you for 20,000 a show to walk back and forth saying "Uh huh, yeah!" holding ya nuts w/ 25 of your goons crowding the stage...and that's a good segway to number...

3. Live shows... A. Okay we've thrown enough $ money from the stage to get the crowd exited...come up w/ something new. B. Your road manager & an IPOD... stop playing...stop being cheap... hire a Tour DJ...you never know we'll probably "Make your show tighter." C. Just cause you bring 30 people on the road w/ you doesn't mean that they all need to bring they're asses on stage w/ you...ask DMX; one man, a mic, & a DJ. If you can't keep the crowd interest w/ that... reevaluate your career choice. (BTW, I'll let you slide w/ a hype man to do your adlibs... but dammit turn his mic down! He's shouting your verse louder than YOU.

3. My album, then my crews, and then their solo albums/I started a new label...STOP IT...ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. If your mans an 'nem ain't NICE, NICE, NICE, on the mic stop trying to FORCE their damn albums on us...IT DOESN'T WORK. It just SO cliche'...everybody can't be Wu-Tang & G-Unit...besides somebody always ends up being U-God & Masta Killa...don't do that to your friends.

4. My LABEL dropped the ball on my project...WHAT?!!???!!? Hello, reality check...just 'cause you signed a deal doesn't mean that it gets easier...THAT'S when the real work starts...stop taking your advances and buying "rapper starter kits" and use that money to continue to advance your street movement...continue to PROMOTE and ADVANCE your OWN career like you never got signed, MAKE yourself a priority at the label. When people see you HUSTLIN' it makes 'em wanna HUSTLE with you instead of FOR YOU.

5. A&Rs...news flash...stop watching soundscan & BDS to find new talent...what used to be guaranteed sales...AREN'T. Get out in the streets and find what's hot...going to to the club w/ the intent of chasing chicks is not scouting TALENT. Finding out that your "next big thing" has a TERRIBLE live show as they bomb on 106 & Park is not a good look...shouldn't you have known that already? Signed 'em off one song huh...NO NOBODY BELIEVES 'EM huh...you got a problem now huh?

6. Record Promoters...sigh...Serato made your life easier huh...ya think all you gotta do is send out an e-mail blast...haha. STOP IT...back away from the keyboard & monitor look at that thing on your desk with the numbers and a little handset that you can hold to your ear and talk into...USE IT IT'S CALLED A PHONE. Yes, you still need to TALK to the people you want to play those records. Oh yeah side note...if your sitting at YOUR DESK doing all of your communications from your Blackberry/Sidekick...STOP IT...get yo ass up and get in the streets and work your records...that's what a handheld is for to communicate when your ASS is ON THE MOVE!!! (I'm shooting this out from as speeding SUV as we speak)

7. DJs...stop lying...if the RECORD sucks...TELL THEM...I can't get any clearer than that. Don't lie and say your gonna play what you know your NOT. If they can't respect that YOU play records for REAL PEOPLE all of the time and they'll let you know real quick what they do and don't like...eff 'em. But at the same time...try to give the music a chance...the record might not fit your personal taste but SEE IF THE PEOPLE like it...but like I said...IF IT SUCKS...TELL THEM. So what if they stop servicing you...that's what Digiwaxx, The Industry Soundbank, and New Music Server are for...we all have CDJ & Serato by now (Send me my damn vinyl though...stop playin'...budget cuts my ass...fire a couple clueless executives that should free up ya budget. Oh yeah, what you want me to do with that ONE piece of vinyl...besides get pissed off?!?!)

8. And for my final tidbit of the day...SENIOR EXECUTIVES...if those clowns were on the same team that got your ass FIRED from your last POST...why do you keep dragging their asses to every NEW opportunity you get...the business needs a new business model and NEW IDEAS...you're not gonna get that dragging the same OLD dogs from one imprint to another.